Wrestling was removed from the Olympic schedule for the 2020 Games. / Paul Sancya, AP

by Chris Chase, USA TODAY Sports

by Chris Chase, USA TODAY Sports

"It's not a case of what's wrong with wrestling, it is what's right with the 25 core sports," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said after the organization voted to remove the sport from the 2020 Olympic program.

To the contrary. It's not what's right with wrestling (the sport isn't as diverse as its supporter claim and both disciplines are nearly impossible for viewers to follow), but what's wrong with the other sports.

That's not to say there isn't a lot right with the sport. It brings more than 300 competitors to the Games, it's open to both men and women and it has roots in the first modern Olympics and the ancient Games in Greece. History, participation and a fervent passion among its supporters. What more is there?

But unless you're a wrestling lover, Olympic purist or CNBC viewer -- and that's not a strong constituency -- you won't fret over the decision. You'll see it today and forget about it for seven years until a 2020 Olympics that doesn't even have a host city yet. I'm a baseball fan who watched every waking hour of the 2012 Olympics and has covered the Games daily for the past four years and it took me until the middle of the second week to remember the sport had been booted off the schedule.

Chances are you didn't see much, if any, wrestling during London. It's hard to follow and relies on a scoring system that's complicated to all but the most dedicated fans.

The usual cries of anti-Americanism popped up after the vote, due mostly to the United States' lead in the all-time wrestling medal count. Though it's easy to accuse the IOC of Eurocentric views (rallies in Tehran have more support for the U.S.), this is a tough sell. It's far more damaging to Russia.

United States wrestlers hadn't finished in the top four of the wrestling medal count since 2000 and it's lead in the all-time medal count is only the result of the break up of the Soviet Union. Athletes competing under the Soviet flag have been in one Olympics since 1980 and none since 1988 and the USSR is still is only nine medals behind the United States. Combine the Soviet medal count with Russia and all the breakaway nations and it practically doubles the U.S. total.

Tradition can't sustain Olympic sports forever and far more popular sports have been booted before. (Tennis, anyone?) No, the biggest gripe is that wrestling is gone while these sports remain:

1. Modern Pentathlon -- Hasn't been relevant since George Patton finished fifth in the first competition in 1912. Wrestling requires a mat and a singlet. Modern pentathlon needs a horse, gun, pool and swords. That sounds less like an Olympic sport and more like an afternoon at Phil Spector's house.

2. Ping pong -- Call it table tennis if you want. It's ping pong. And it's even less competitive than the American-dominated softball was in the past. China has won the past 11 gold medals dating back to 2004 and the silvers in London were either won by China, South Korea or Japan.

3. Race walking -- This isn't a "core sport." It falls under the track and field designation. Still ridiculous.

4. Trampoline -- This even is exactly like it sounds.

5. Taekwondo/Judo -- If you can name one difference between these sports other than the amount of letters in their name, then you have a leg up on 99% of Olympic viewers.

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